Attachment-plug.



C. J. KLEIN.

ATTACHMENT PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1907.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

VIII' L UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEFICE.

CHARLES JULIUS KLEIN, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoR, BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, Tol

IDA S. ROSENHEIM, 0F NEW YORK, N.

ATTACHMENT-PLUG.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be `it known that ,1, CHARLES J ULIUs KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Attachment-Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to attachment plugs adapted for use in connect-ion with the extension of electrical circuits, and whereby i11- candescent lamps and other current-consuming devices andapparatus may be readily connected and disconnected with a source of electrical supply.

The invention has for its object to provide Y' an improved attachment plug, the members construction and in of which are capable of simple and convenient connection and disconnection, and in the use of which increased protection is afforded for the fixture with which Athe attachment plug is connected andI for the apparatus which is connected with such fixture through the agency of such attachment plug, and which attachment plug shall be superior in point of simplicity and inexpensiveness `of general efficiency and serviceability.

The invention in its referred form comprises twol members which are both swivelly and detachably connected, and connection means whereby said members are so connected, said connection means being so formed and so arranged with relation to the two members that said members may be separated one from the other by a straightawayv pull or by the application of pressureJ socket, not shown; Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the inner body member of the same; F igt 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken upon the line y-y, F 1g. 2, at

right angles to the plane of the section of Fig. l, and looking in the direction of the 'appended arrow; Fig. etv is a bottom plan Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the samereference characters.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 28, 1909 application filed February 25, 1907.` serial No. 359,271.

Referring with particularity to the draw- 1 in'g, the improved attachment plug comprises the two members A and B respectively, of which the member A is the inner body member and the member B is the outer body member, the member A being formed, in the specic disclosure of the drawing, for

direct connection with an incandescent lamp socket, and the member B being adapted for connection with the current-consuming device or apparatus, the latter member being shown with two conductors, C and D respectively. The two members which are separable upon the line w-w, Fig. 1, are separably held together and swivelly attached by connection means E. By said connection means E the members are held together swivelly,

andsuch connection means 'E permit the* members to be relatively separated by the application of force to urge them apart in a direction coincident with the common longitudinal axis of the two members, indicated by the line z-z, Fig. 1; or by the application of force to .bend the members apart or cause the separation of one member from the other in a pat-h at an angle to the common longitudinal axis designated by the line z-z, Fig/l. The connection means E are located adjacent to the'line of junction of the two members, being preferably lcomprised Y within the circuit members of the member A and their allied electrical connections.

F and G designatethe circuit members of the member A, and H and ,K designate elecv trical connections carried by the member B, and which yarev respectively associated with the 4circuit "members F and G. The conductors C and D are respectively connected with the electrical connections H and K.

A preferred form ofthe construction, op-

40 of suitable electrically 65 The electrical connections H comprisev ferative connection and relative arrangement of parts and members of an attachment plug' comprising the invention, as illustrated in the agompanying drawing, is as follows The body member A comprises a generally cylindrical body: portion 8 which is provided with the customary `threaded metallic shell 9 formed for connection with the customary threaded Isocket (not shown).V Said body 1() portion 8 is provided with a central longitu' dinally extendingghamber 10, and with an annular chamber 11, both of which chambers open outwardly or toward the member B. The circuit member, F, or, as shown in the i 1'5 drawing, the two Ccircuit members F, are located within the chamber 11, and the circuit member G is located within the chamber 10. Each of the circuit members F comprises 'a spring prongr 12, the outer or free end of which is slightly inwardly curved, as at 13,

and the inner end portion of which is projected through a suitable bore in the inner portion of the body portion 8, as at 14, and secured to an ear 15 formed upon the shell 9, as at- 1G. Each of the prongs 12 and the extended portion 14 .thereof is of integral /construction in entirety, and may be Couveniently stamped up from a blank of metallicI Wire of suitable diameter and electrical con-r ductivity. I

The circuit member Gr comprises twod spaced spring prongs, 17 and 18 respectively, which are located within the chamber 10 in lthe body portion 8, the inner end portions'of the same being joined as at 19, with a shank or pin20, which extends axially 'through the inner end portion of the body portion 8 and terminates in the contact head 21.` The prongs 17 and 18 `and the pin or shank 20 are The outer end portions'22 and 23frespectively, of the prongs 17 and 18, are bent apart. relatively, and adjacent to such bent apart portions said prongs are indented or -4'5 slitted, as at 24, for the purpose hereinafter specied. Such bent apart and slitted portions of the prongs 17 and 18 are located slightly within the outermost portion of the inner body member A. The chamber 10 and the prongs 17 and 18 are ofjsuch dimensions and of such relative arrangement that said prongs" may be freely bentapart toa material extent within the chamber 10. l

The body member B comprises a body' portion 25 which, when fitted to the bodymember A, serves as a cap :for the same. Such body ortion 25, which is substantially cylindrical in form, is provided with a lateral interior chamber 26, which opens outwardly of the member 25 through a passage ,or perforation 27, which latter accommodates' the conductors C and D and permits theirleading-in to the electrical connect H and K.' a

. l conductive material.-

'binding screw 28.

AIThe annulus 31 is also provided with a 4 further' ear 32 arranged substantially diametrically opposite to the ear 30. A'screviT 33 passes through .said ear 32 and into the body portion 25 o f the member B.' lThe pin 29 likewise enters the body portion 25, and said pin 29 and lsaid screw 33 hold the annulus 31 irmly in position.

The electrical connections K comprise a metallic stud or post 34 provided with an enlarged head 35, formed for suitable engage- -ment with the prongs 17 and 18 of the circuit member G, the face of said head being of such-v angular formationas to enable it to be irmlyv seated within the cut-.away or slitted portions 24 of the said prongs Y17 and`18, and to have a temporary locking engagement with said prongs 17 and 18 in swivel connection. As will be seen, the head 35 is provided with a tapering portion 35, which portion constitutes an extended locking area, the engagementzof any portion of which with the slitted portions 24 of the prongs 17 and 18 constitutes a positive locking engagement. rlhe circuit member G extends substantially longitudinally axially of the member A, and the stud or post 34 projects from the member B in such direction that when the member B and the member A are brought together operatively said stud or post 34 will enter the *y space between the bent apart portions 22 andv 23 of the prongs 17 and 18, in a path coinci dent with the longitudinal axis of the member A. The stud or post 34 thus lies within the longitudinal -axis of the vmember B and an extension thereof. The stud or post 34 is lixed to a metallic bracket 36 arranged .i

within the passage 27, and connected with the body portion 25 of the member B by a pin 37 which holds the entirety in place. The bracket 36 is provided with a binding screw 38iw-ith which the conductor D is connected, the conductor Cv being connectedwith the It will be noted -that while the stud or post 34 lies within the longitudinal axis of the member B and an extenlsion thereof, it is supported at one side of said axis byQhp/bracket 36. It isnecessarily so supported to register with the clrcuit member G. The chamber 2G, while communicating with the passage or perforation 27, which latter is formed around the longitudinal axis of the member B, is nevertheless at one si ofthe member A, the conductors C an d 15a/ifo 6, to more closely fit the spring prongs 12,v

and so as to maintain a. tight and close connection of such annulus and said spring prongs in locking engagement.

It will be seen from the above that the lconductor C is electrically connected with thecircuit members F through the binding screw 28 and the annulus 31; and that the conductor D is electrically connected with the circuit member G through the binding screw 38, the bracket 36, and the stud or post 34 and the head 35 thereof. The head 35 is of such dimension as to fit freely within 'the `chamber 10, and to cause a slight separation ,of the prongs 17 and 18 when said head is introduced between the .bent apart portions 22 and 23 of the prongs 17 and 18.

It will be noted that the spring quality of the prongs 12 constituting the circuit members F, as well as the spring quality of the prongsl 17 and v18 constituting the circuit.

member G, cause a positive locking engagement of said circuit members F with the electrical connections H and of the circuit member G-with the electrical connections K .but that such locking engagement permits of a. swivel connection betweenthe two members,

and also permits of ready disconnection or separation of the two members A and B upon the application of properly applied iforce or pressure.

The method of use and advantages of the improvements herein described will be readilyunderstood from the foregomg description take-n' in connection .with the ,accompanying drawing and the following statement Vhenthe conductors C and D have been properly lead through the passage 27 in the body portion 25, of-the member B,`

and connected respectively with the binding screws 28 and 38, of therespective electrical connections H and K,the elect-ric circuit in connection with which saidconductors are vinstalled may be readily extended through .the circuit members F and G of the member A by bringing the memberV B to bearupon 'the member A inpproper registration, causing the electrical connections K to connect with the circuit member Gand the electrical connections `H to connect with the circuit -members F. The annulusl31 surrounds and binds tight-ly upon the spring prongs 12,

and the head 35 ofthe stud or post 3i slightly forces apart and binds tightly upon y.and between the spring prongs 17 and 18;

the annulus 31 and prongs 12 and the head 35 and prongs 17 and 18 thus constituting the connection means E. The angular formation of the head 35 causes a positivel temporary locking engagement of the same with the slitted portions 24 of the prongs` 17 and 18. It will be noted that the connection means E, constituted 'as last described, are arranged in proximity to the junction line of the members A and B. Both of the chambers 10 and 11 in the body portion 8 are of such dimensionsas to permit material flection of the spring prongs 12. and the spring prongs 17 and 18 within the respective chambers. From the formation and relative arrangement of parts as last specified it results that the members A and B may readily be separated not only by a straight-away pull in a direction coincident with their longitudinal axes; but that the members A and B may be. bentapart,

as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. For instance, with the member A installed in a fixture, lateral pressure may be applied to' the member B so as to cause the same to separate from the member A in a directioi of movement at an angle with the longitudi! nal axes of the members )A and B. In such bending apart of the two members, the chamber-s 10 and 11 accommodate fully the movements of the annulus 31 and the stud or post 34, as well as of the prongs 12 and the prongs 17 and 18. These features of improvement ilrthe construction of the connection means E are of high advantage in a .device of the character under consideration, for 1n the use of such features of improvements aify blow directed laterally against 'the member B orthe conductors C and D will cause disconnection of the members A and B instead of injury to such conductors, such members A and B, the fixture with which the member A is connected and the device supplied with current by the conductorsC and D. In attachment plugs in which separation of the members is only per! mitted by a"straightaway pull or strain upon the' members or either of the same, there is no obviating the damages above referred tolto the installation, and such damages are frequent in installations in which the conductors are extended across rooms or considerable portions of the same. The swlveling of the member B upon the member A through -the agencypf the connection means E permits tml/ative rotation of the members A and JB. The member A may therefore 'be screwedinto and out of its fixture without twisting or damaging the condtctors, and the conductors and the device or pparatus supplied thereby may be slnftedin position to cause revolution of the conf.

ductors without changing t-he position of the member A.. This flexible connection between the curi'ent-consuming device and the `connection plug and its fixture eiectually conserves the best working conditions and the prevention of injuryto the conductors.

I do not desire to be understood as'limiting myself to the specific construction, relative arrangement and connection of parts and members herein described, but ,reserve the right to vary the saine in adapting the improvements to varying conditions of use without departing from the spirit of the invention or the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentzl. An improved attachment plug comprising two separably andswivelly operatively connected body members, each provided with means for maintaining electrical circuit connections said means permitting both a straight and angular separation of the body members.

2. An improved attachment plug, comprising two separably and swivelly operatively connected body members jointly provided with means for maintaining electrical circuit conditions, and connection means detachably uniting said body members and enabling the same to be an ularly separated, said connection means eing comprised within said means for maintaining electrical circuit conditions.

3. An improved attachment. plug, comprising two separably operatively connected body members jointly provided with means for maintaining electrical circuit conditions, and connection means detachably uniting said body members and enabling the same to be angularly separated.

4. An improved attachment plug, com- )risino' two bod members and connection means detachably uniting said body members and enabling the same to be swivelly operatively connected and angularly separated.

An improved attachment plug, comprising two body members jointly provided with means for maintaining electrical cir.- cuit conditions, and connection means de-k tachably uniting said body members and enabling the same to be swivelly operatively connected and angularly separated. 6. An improved attachment plug, comprising two body members separably and swivelly operatively connected, one of said body members being provided with circuit members, and the other of said body members being provided with electrical connections respectively adapted for electrical contact with said circuit members, and connection means detachably uniting said body members and enabling angular separation of the saine.

7. An improved attachment plug, comprising two body members, and connection means detachably and swivelly operatively connecting said body members and enabling said body members to be separated by the movement o one of said body members in a direction at an angle with the longitudinal axes of both of said members.

8. An improved attachment plug, comprising two body members, and connection means detachably uniting said body members and comprising spring prongs carried by one of said membersand -engaging with the other of said members, and enabling said members to be angularly separated.

9. An improved attachment plug, comprising two body members having coinciding longitudinal axes; and connection means whereby said members are detachably and swivelly connected, and comprising sprin prongs carried by one of said members an a headed stud carried by the other of said members, and enabling said members to be separated by the movement of one yof said members in a direction at an angle with the longitudinal aXes of both said members.

10. An improved attachment plugncomprising two body members having coincid-v ing longitudinal axes, and connection means swivelly and detachably uniting said body members; said connection means comprising a plurality of spring prongs carried by one of said members, and an annulus and a headed stud carried by the other of said membersl and arranged for engagement respectively with said spring prongs, and enabling said members to be separated by the movement of one of said members in a direction at an angle to the longitudinal axes of both of said members.

11. An improved attachment plug, coinprising two body members, and ,ponnection means swiavelly and detachably uniting said body members; said connection means comprising a spring prong carried by one of said members, and a stud carried by the other of said members andprovided witha head having a tapering portion,A said spring prong being provided with a lnotched portion Wlierewit-h said tapering portion of said head is engaged to lock said body members together.

12. Animproved attachment plug, comprising two body members, and connection neans detachably uniting said body memers;

spring prong carried by one of said connection means comprising a said members, and a headed stud carried by the other of said members, said spring prong` being provided with a notched portion, and said --headed stud being provided with an.' extended alocking area for engagement with said notched portion of said spring prong.

13. An improved attachment plug, comprising two body members ,land coniigctioii l with a passage surrounding the longitu- 20V carrying portion for enabling the same to be ythe same said body member being provided l stitutingan electrical connection.

. portion an terminal-carrying portion for the l means detachably uniting said body members; said connection means comprising a notched spring prong carried by one of said members adjacent to the longitudinal axis thereof, and a headed stud carried by the other of said body members in the longitudinal axis thereof; said body member carrying said headed stud being provided with a passage surrounding the longitudinal axis thereof, and the same body member being provided with a chamber communicating with said passage.

ll. An improved attachmentplug, comprising two body members. and connectionmeans detachablyuniting the same and arranged in coincidence with the longitudinal axes of said body members; one of said body members being provided with a passage surrounding theu longitudinal axis thereof, and

with a chamber communicating, with said passage.

lrAn improved attachment plug, comprising two body members, and connection means .detachably and swivelly uniting the same and arranged in coincidence with the longitudinal axes of said body members; one of said bodymembers being provided dinal axis thereof, and the same said body member being provided with a chamber communicatingwith said passage.

16. An improved attachment plug, comprising two body members, and connection means detachably uniting said body members; said connection means embodying a spring prong carried by one of the members and provided with a curved operative end portion and an inner end portion projected through the said bodyiiember and constituting a circuit. member; and an annulus carried by the other body member and engaging with said spring prong, said annulus con- 17.. An attachment-plug comprising a body portion, a termmal-carrylng portlon and means engagmg 'with the terminalswiveled upon and detached from said body portion.

18. A11 attaclmient-plug comprising aA body portion, a terminal-carrying portion and sprin connect-ions between Vsaid body.

terminal-carrying portion to be swiveled upon and detachedfrom said body portion.

1S).F An attachment-plug comprising a body members, each provided with means` for maintaining electrical circuit connections, said means permitting either a. straight or an angular separation of the body members.

A separable electric connector comprising a one-piece base of insulating material provided at one end wit-h annular` recesses, contactclips or jaws locatedin said recesses, and center and side contacts at the other end of the base electrically connected to said clips or jaws.

23. A separable electric connector comprising a one-piece base of insulating material provided at one end wit-h annular recesses, contact clips or jaws located in said recesses, a shell contact 'surrounding the other end of said base and connected to one of said clips or jaws and a center contact connected to the other clip or jaw.

Y Qi. A separable electric connector com prising a one-piece base of insulating material provided in, the upper end with annular recesses, contact clips or jaws located in said recesses with their outer ends below the end" surface of the base, a shell contact mounted upon and surrounding the lower end of said base and connected to one of said clips or jaws, and acenter contact electrically connected to the other clip or jaw.

In testimony whereof, Iliavesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two` subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES JULIS KLEIX. 'itnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HOFFMAN, MICHAEL R. MATTEO. 

